Minnesota Gophers pin big hopes on Dallas Skyline foursome

Four members of the Dallas Skyline High School football team signed with the Gophers last year with dreams of helping a bottom-level Big Ten Conference program turn itself around.

But it didn't happen for all of them right away.

Troy Stoudermire was the only major contributor on last season's bowl team as he broke two University of Minnesota records on special teams. Da'Jon McKnight had one catch all year. Keanon Cooper redshirted. Spencer Reeves had to retake his ACT to become eligible to rejoin the team this year.

It wasn't until this spring that the Skyline foursome finally practiced together for the first time since high school.

"I think it's really good that all of us are here now," said Stoudermire, who set Minnesota single-season records for kickoff returns (42) and kickoff return yards (1,083). "It's pretty comfortable when we do our routes on offense because we know how they play on defense. It's really competitive, and it makes us better."

They're also playing the same positions now. Stoudermire, who switched from cornerback, and McKnight are wide receivers. Cooper, a former safety, and Reeves are linebackers.

Stoudermire was one of the most versatile players on the team last season while spending time on defense, special teams, receiver and quarterback. But he was a game-changing performer on kickoffs.

Despite finishing fourth in the Big Ten in kick returns, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound sophomore was disappointed he didn't take one the distance for a touchdown.

"I feel real comfortable going into next year," he said.

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"Coach (John) Butler taught me to be patient, to wait and square up to catch the ball. I've done that better this spring."

McKnight might be having the best spring of any receiver. The 6-foot-3 200-pounder caught a 22-yard touchdown pass against Ohio State last year, but that was his only freshman highlight.

McKnight, who played safety in high school, tried switching to defense to open spring ball, but had trouble with the drills because of a sore shoulder. He said he would still consider moving if the team needed him to, but learning a new offense hasn't been overwhelming.

"I learned last year to just be patient," said McKnight, who is running with the first-team offense with fellow sophomore receiver Brandon Green. "Your time will come. When your opportunity presents itself, you have to take advantage of it. I feel like the playing time I got helped me as a player."

Cooper and Reeves are at a disadvantage compared with their Skyline teammates who gained experience.

But Butler, the Gophers' linebackers coach, expects both to play as freshmen. He projects the 220-pound Reeves as a solid inside player, possibly replacing starting senior middle linebacker Lee Campbell, who led the team in tackles last year. He compared Cooper to starting senior outside linebacker Simoni Lawrence, who ranked second on the team last year in tackles for loss.

"Obviously, we're hoping that as things develop and move forward when Simoni graduates (next year), he can jump in right away and be that guy," Butler said about Cooper, a former four-star prospect and the most highly recruited player of the Skyline foursome. "He's really athletic for a linebacker. He just needs to put on more weight."

"Both kids are very good students of the game," Butler said. "I've been very impressed with how they've taken notes. Spencer is so far behind, but we're hoping that (spring) is his redshirt. When he goes through the summer, he will be so far ahead of the other freshmen. It's going to be hard to redshirt (Reeves), because he has got athleticism and can play on special teams."

Realistically, all four Skyline players should see the field for the Gophers this year. That could be a good thing.

"I think they all have a chance to impact the game for us," Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said. "All four of them are very athletic, have outstanding speed and are very bright guys. They played at Skyline High School and in the state of Texas. They played at a very high level."